Polycultural identity of Hong Kong University students learning in the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area

The identity of Hong Kong youth is a complex and delicate issue. As a former British colony, Hong Kong is a city where various cultures coexist. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is rich in multiple cultural elements, which is the “cultural mixing” context mentioned in this study. Existing literature shows that Hong Kong youth are proud of their “Hongkonger” identity. The formation of identity is not just the result of political appeals; it is related to the environment in which each individual lives. It is undeniable that there are huge cultural differences between Hong Kong and Mainland China. Hong Kong university students studying in Mainland China are in a unique cultural mixing environment. However, the cultural mixing experience of this group and its impact on identity are still unclear. The present study aims to examine how cultural mixing experiences affect the identities of Hong Kong university students in Mainland China and to develop a new scale to measure their cultural mixing attitudes. The three fundamental research questions are: (1) How do Hong Kong university students identify themselves while studying in Mainland universities of GBA? (2) What factors have contributed to the psychological mechanism of cultural mixing attitudes of this group? (3) What are the relationships between cultural mixing attitudes, cultural mixing experiences, and the identities of this group? This study conducted an empirical study using a mixed method based on the results of a comparative systematic review of Chinese and English databases. 139 Hong Kong university students studying in mainland universities participated in the survey, and 22 participated in the interviews. The main findings include (1) This study provides empirical evidence of a shift in the cultural identities of Hong Kong students studying in mainland China. Unlike previous research, which emphasized a predominant “Hongkonger” identity, this study highlights the emergence of “Hongkonger in China” and “Chinese” as dominant identities among these Hong Kong students. (2) The development and validation of the Cultural Mixing Attitude Scale (CMAS), which comprises three dimensions, offers a novel framework for understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying cultural mixing. CMAS is one of the latest achievements in the in-depth discussion of cultural mixing theory. (3) Data from both the survey and in-depth interviews indicate that the social support and acceptance perceived by Hong Kong students should be taken seriously. It is not only related to the attitudes towards cultural mixing, but also an important factor in shaping identity through the cultural mixing experience. This study proposes “GBA polycultural identity” based on the findings. It has the potential to serve as a reference for researchers studying identity in the GBA or on a larger scale. GBA polycultural identity refers to an individual’s identity related to actively engaging with, adapting to, and integrating multiple cultural influences that are interwoven and continuously interacting within a specific sociocultural context, such as GBA. This concept is closely related to cultural mixing and polyculturalism.